Folding umbrella rib assembly



June 9, 1959 KAMPF 2,889,841

FOLDING UMBRELLA RIB ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 24, 1956 INVENTOR. Frzedr/c/z Kampf BY i ATTYS,

United State P n v 2,889,841 v p FOLDING UMBRELLA RIB ASSEMBLY Friedrich Kampf, Leichlingen, Rhineland, Germany, as-- signor to Rosenkaimer G.m.b.H., Leichlingen, Rhineland, Germany, a firm The invention relates to ribs and braces for umbrellas, particularly folding umbrellas.

These ribs and braces usually have a so-called paragon profile, orin other words, a profile with a .U-shaped cross-section. In some cases solid bars with a round or angular cross-section may also be used. Folding umbrellas are formed in such a manner that the rib is subdivided by a joint and that the lower part of the rib may be folded outwards around this joint towards the upper part of the rib which is hingedly connectedwith the crown or top of the umbrella. In such a folding mechanism, the articulated lower part of the rib must be securely guided with regard to the upper part of the rib. In the usual folding umbrellas, the two parts of the rib are connected with one another by means of an intermediate member which on the one hand is connected with the one part and on the other hand with the other part of the rib. The double articulation has the draw back that the two parts of the rib cannot be correctly guided in a direction transverse to the axis in view of the play necessary within the joints. Correct guiding may be obtained only thereby that the intermediate member is provided with relatively high lateral flanges which however are most unfavorable for the covering fabric.

This invention has for its object a further improvement of umbrellas, particularly of folding umbrellas. According to the invention, the ribs, as well as the adjecent supporting brace rod are provided with double grooves in cross-section. This formation offers not only the advantage that the rib and brace due to their profile have a very high elasticity together with a relatively small weight, but also that a considerably better and simpler guiding is obtained for the folding mechanism of the folding umbrella.

According to a further feature of the invention, the joint plate or sleeve to which is hingedly connected the outer end of the inner rib section is fixedly attached to the inner end of the outer rib section. This attachment is suitably effected in such a manner that the joint sleeve surrounds at both sides the lateral flanges of the double grooved rib formations. The joint sleeve is suitably provided with a generally flat bottom. If desired, however, portions of the bottom may be undulated instead of being flat such as the extremities of the sleeve. These undulations may be more pronounced at the ends of the sleeve so that the profiles of the adjacent ends of the ribs may be engaged for better guiding. At the place of the joint, the bottom of the sleeve is flat or undulated to a small degree only so that the hinge point for the rib section may be near as possible to the bottom. The lateral guiding flanges of the joint sleeve gradually diminish in height from the hinge point towards both ends and preferably extend to the free end of the sleeve. In such a manner, the double paragon or double U-shaped folding rib makes possible a correct guiding of the joint which results in high stability of the joint. Thereby secure support and guiding of the lower part of the rib is further obtained so that lateral cscapement thereof Patented June 9, 1959 is prevented. Besides, the joint sleeves according to the invention are distinguished by a flat form so that drag marks in the overlying covering fabric are avoided.

One embodiment of the object of the invention is illushated by way of example in'the drawing.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a folding rib and brace rod for a folding umbrella in extended position,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view showing the sectional rib folded upon itself,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line III III of Fig. 1, showing the double paragon or double U-shaped cross-section of the rib,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the sectional rib and of the joint plate or sleeve to which the outer end of the inner section of the folding rib is hinged and to which the inner end of the outer rib secthe joint sleeve and the inner end of the outer rib.

The folding rib according to the invention has the profile or cross-section illustrated in Fig. 3 and is composed of the inner section 1 and of the outer section 2 which are hingedly connected one with another in a manner that the inner section may be folded towards the outer section as illustrated in Fig. 2. The outer section 2 of the rib is supported by means of a brace rod 3 which likewise has a double paragon or U-shaped profile, or cross-section, and the inner end of which is hingedly attached to the geat 4 fixed to the outer section 2 of rib between the ends thereof.

The hinged connection of both sections of the rib is effected by means of a joint plate or sleeve 5 which is of general U-shape in cross-section as illustrated in Fig. 6 and which is fixedly attached to the inner end of the outer section 2 of the rib. The ends 5a of the lateral guiding flanges Sc of the joint sleeve 5 are bent inwardly towards each other and downwardly for firmly inclosing the lateral flanges as well as the bottom parts of the double paragon profile forming the outer section 2 of the rib as illustrated in Fig. 6. The inwardly bent ends 5a of the joint sleeve have frictional engagement with the inclosed end of the rib to provide a secure and firm connection between the rib section and joint sleeve.

The bottom surface 511 of the joint sleeve, as shown in Fig. 6, is preferably undulated to a small degree so that the undulations engage the grooves of the double paragon or U-shaped rib and provide a more intimate contact over the rounded section connecting the adjacent legs of the Us to form a third U inverted with respect to the other two. For better guiding of the section of the rib, the undulations may be more pronounced at the ends of the sleeves 5 to provide an interfitting connection between the rib ends and the sleeve. In proximity of the hinged point 6 for the inner rib section 1, the bottom of the sleeve 5 is flat or undulated to a small degree only so that the hinge point 6 may be as near as possible to the bottom of the sleeve. The lateral guiding flanges 5c are at their greatest height in the vicinity of the hinge point 6 but diminish in height from the hinge point towards both ends substantially to the height of the adjacent ends of the rib sections 1 and 2.

For ribs of folding umbrellas, it has been customary to use either single paragon profiles or a rib with a single groove, or in combination with solid bars or solid bars alone. Such structures have certain drawbacks in that instability at the joint is present with insufficient guiding of a folding rib section relative to a joint sleeve. The employment of folding ribs for folding umbrellas having a double U-shaped cross-section or paragon profile wherein the two Us are connected by a curved r'r' 1 Ce 2,889,841

3 a section between adjacent legs to form a third U, together with the associated hinge sleeve provides for a better support for the folding ribs as well as improved guiding of the folding ribs with respect to an associated joint sleeve.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

l. A folding rib assembly for folding umbrellas, said rib assembly comprising hingedly connected inner and outer rib sections, each of said rib sections having a cross-sectional configuration approximating that of a pair of integrally formed and interconnected U-shaped portions which open in the same direction, the undulations of said U-shaped portions being of substantial depth and extending for substantially the entire length of said rib sections, and a hinged connection between said outer and inner rib sections, said hinged connection including a channel-shaped joint sleeve, the cross-sectional configuration of at least the ends of the Web of said channel-shaped joint sleeve comprising undulations, with the, undulations thereof being of a shallower depth than those of said rib sections, the outer end of the inner rib section being hinged between the side flanges of said joint sleeve intere,sso,s41

. 4 mediate the ends of said sleeve and the inner end of the outer rib section being clampingly fitted in one end ofsaid joint sleeve and the side walls of the joint sleeve tapering from the hinge point towards the opposite ends of the sleeve.

2. A device as set forthin claim 1 wherein the web of said joint sleeve is undulated for intimate contact with both rib sections in their fully extended position, except 'in its mid-portion opposite said rib hinge, where said web is left substantially .flat in order to bring the rib hinge within the channel as close to the bottom as possible and reduce its bulge on the cover side of the rib sections.

3. A device asset forth in claim 1 wherein the fixed connection between the, joint sleeve and outer rib section includes rolled edges on the end of the joint sleeve which engages the inner end of said outer rib section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATE$ PATENTS 949,068 Friedlaender Dec. 14, 1909 1,049,764 Philip Jan. 7, 1913 2 ,177,458 Okun Oct. 24, 1939 2,653,619 Schmidt Sept. 29, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,914 Great Britain Aug. 9, 1887 

